Hi everyone! It's me, RKRobot! I'm more than happy to present to you, NewGenners, the newest roleplay collaboration effort between myself and long-time member Zazul! I've decided to call it:The Dark Cosmos Detective Agency & the Tropican Sisters in: From the Ashes of the InfernalWe both hope you enjoy it as we do writing it! Thanks for reading!! ^_^

*the sounds of a Helion transport shuttle landing roars out as a small ship lands on the docks, its hatch opening as five figures walk out. The first was a young Iciaurian skunk of around 16 with a white, moppy mowhawk and a strange, silver metal arm for his left arm. He wore a simple black hoodie and jeans, as well as a black T-shirt reading "Dark Cosmos Detective Agency." He was playing on a handheld game system, and wasn't seeming to pay his surroundings much mind. Next to him was a tall, lean Necral with green punk spikes for hair, hus eyes covered by a single-band pair of sunglasses. He was shirtless save for a small vest, and hus body was covered in eye tattoos on each joint of his black, dead-skinned body. He wore punker shorts with a silver chain, an investigator badge haging from the chain loosely. The next two were a Fortesian female Knight with a large plume of red hair flowing from her dark green armored bodu, looking like a lion's mane, as well as a short, stout dragon with no wings, a bumpy body, and the demeanor of an overly-affectionate bulldog. Finally, the one seeming to lead the motley crew was a Celestian-Wondermold crossbreed with shaggy, brown hair, wearing a white bucket hat, a red and blue Hawaiian-style button shirt, cargo shorts, and sandals. On his belt, he appeared to have an ornate sword hilt with no blade strapped to his hip.*

Spirit: *the Celestian takes a deep breath, smiling as he looks up at the bright Tropic sky* Ah, this place is great! I love that warm Tropic weather!

Caesar: *the dragon barks loudly, his tail wagging happily as he looks to the Fortesian and hops up on his hind legs, standing and covering her in licks and kisses*

Bonesaw: *the necral looks over at the skunk's game screen, scowling slightly* Oi...Alex. How about you take your head outta the video game? We got a job to do!

Alex: *his reply is short and sharp* Bite me, Corpse-breath.

Bonesaw: *he growls angrily* Why you little-

Spirit: Hey, c'mon, guys! Like Bonesaw said, we're here on business, not pleasure. Lets focus on the task at hand; recovering this ancient stone tome that got stolen. Apparently, the perp used some old, powerful Warlock arts, and the Uniforce members here said they needed people with mystic know-how. So, here we are...now, we're supposed to be meeting the "Kaos Sisters" somewhere around here...

~Tropic Space Port: Entrance~

*Several tuxedo-wearing Koko marched down the hall of the Tropican International Space Port, their talons clicking on the concrete floor. Each of the avains wore belts with security equipment strapped to it, and their colorful feathered heads were decorated with headsets and dark tinted sunglasses. Two beings stood in the middle of the clump of Koko, one short and thin, the other tall and stocky.*

*The shorter one was blonde with cloudy blue eyes. She wore a blue jumper with black leggings and white gloves. Her short boots had small heels, but they didn’t help her compared to her sister.*

*Her sibling, donned in a blue long-sleeve dress, white gloves and black belt with a gold buckle, rolled her red-brown eyes at her sister’s comment. Her gray sneakers squeaked a little as they walked compared to all the clicking going on.*

Rocky: What’s there to be confused about? There’s been some mysterious incidents occuring around the world lately and the Koko Army want answers.

Tori: Then hire some investigators.

Rocky: We did... squints at her snarky reply But its nothing like they’ve ever seen! So since we resigned that Treaty last month, our specialized team agreed to bring in some “outside help”.

Tori: You don’t have to be sassy about it. *puts hands on her hips*

Rocky: You’re just cranky because you’re tired. *smirks*

Tori: So?! *pouts* Hey, look, I see somebody! More somebodies!

Rocky: It’s them! And the one we met last time... he’s here too! I’m glad they made it safe!

*The Koko security staff spread farther apart so the girls could step forward. Rocky was eager to meet them, but tried to hold back her hype. Tori smiled and flashed a greeting wave. She was secretly intrigued by their appearances.*

Spirit: *upon seeing the sisters as well as their regimine of Koko guards, he smiles and waves back* There they are! Those are them!

Alex: *he looks up from his video game, a glazed and uninterested expression on his face* Those are Tropic's mightiest heroes? They look like normal girls...humans, even!

Bonesaw: *he chuckles, his knuckles cracking as he rolls his hand around in a stretching motion* Wonder what kind of magic they use?...

Spirit: None. They rely on technology, not magic here on Tropic. Magic is honestly very rare here, with the exception of basic shamanism and religious powers granted by "The Sky King", the Tropican Prime God.

Spirit: *he blushes from slight embarrassment* W-Well, I did my thesis paper back at the College of Avalon on Tropican Sorcery...one of my favorite heroes of old to study was Samazurae, the Aura Wake healer that put Tropican Magic on the map. *as they finally come face to face with the two cyborg-girls, Spirit nods happily to Rocky, smiling warmly Rocky* good to see you again! Sorry I haven't been in touch with the rest of Uniforce lately. You know, a Mystic detective's work is never done.~

Bonesaw: That, and you have the social skills of an angry magma drake with a hernia, and too much talking to new people tends to wear on you. *he chuckles at his own jape, only to have Kari belt him comically upside the head*

Caesar: *the dragon gives the sisters a big, goofy grin as he lets out a low, playful bark. He then waddles right up to Tori and rises onto his hind legs, giving her a massive, affectionate lick so forceful it would knock a stable Frostguardian Soldier on their rear*

Rocky: Don’t worry about the lack of contact, we’re pretty far out in the Mosaic Cloud, anyway! I suspect very few people to come instantaneously. *she pauses recalling Genesis being the only one to teleport out of her new intergalactic allies*

Tori: *she laughs at Bonesaw’s comment before being licked to the ground by Ceasar* Ahh!! Whoa!! Hahaha, good little-err, big dragon creature!! Did you restore this being from fossilized material, too? *asking Kari, petting Ceasar*

Rocky: Not everyone was resurrected from death like our friend Kane, Tori. *ahem* Thanks again for coming, everyone. My name is Rocky, and this is my sibling and partner, Tori! We’ve been experiencing a lot of trouble emanating from various parts of Crystopoli and Phoenix.

*she pulls up a digital tablet she kept at her side and turned it out towards the team. There was a big map of Tropic with two glowing red areas where there was strange activity. The north pole, Crystopoli, and the Equatorial island in the south, Phoenix, were the most obvious.*

Rocky: *points to Gadgetria, a large continent in between both locations* So, if we’re here, which location would you like to target first?

Spirit: *he politely inclines his head to Tori in greetings* Aura embrace you both, and well met. My name is Spiritu Desudari, or Spirit for short. These are my friends and investigative team; Alex Law, Bonesaw Jeckeljaques, Kari Bruun, and Kari's animal partner, Caesar. Now then, let's have a look at that map...*he eyes the map closely before motioning to Kari* Kari, bring me the drive with the case file on it.

Kari: *reaching into her pack that she kept on her side, she retrieves a small, square drive and hands it to Spirit*

Spirit: *he attaches the drive to the pad, causing the box to light up and a 3d hologram of the planet to spring out* According to our collective data, we're definitely dealing with something Infernal in origin. *he points to the two specified locations, both of which were glowing a neon green color* Look at this....Infernal energy lighting up the pole and this island like fireworks on Founder's Day....

Alex: *he puts the game in his pocket, now seemingly interested* Do you think its another Law Warlock?

Spirit: *he seems to be deep in thought on the matter* Hard to tell...The only thing I'm worried about with that theory is why would a Law Warlock come out here? There's practically nothing out here for a Warlock to want...*he then snaps his fingers* Perhaps examining any info on the artifact that was reported stolen might help us discern a motive? *he looks to Rocky* Sorry for jumping into business straight away, but would you girls mind showing us to the Archeological Society's headquarters? The info we need should be there. In the meantime, Alex, you and Tori go back to the ship and have Lugo analyze the map and cross-reference it with energy patterns from the past few days. Then, we can determine what place was hit first, and that will give us a starting point.

Bonesaw: *he looks over to Tori, smirking slightly* You kids have fun now.~

???: *a single, youthful Iciaurian skunk is kneeling before a large, glowing green mass of hellfire. In it, the image of a humanoid being with a masculine, human-like form can be seen floating, listening to the Skunk's report* ...and soon, I will move on into the town and begin the Reclamation ritual. Everything is going exactly as you planned, Master...soon, the dream of our forefathers will be realized...a perfect world, pure and free of mortal corruption.

Figure: *its glowing green eyes narrow happily* Well done, Knives...Well done. Once you arrive to the Reclamation site, begin the ritual and bring back the Left and Right Hands. With their aid, finding the Voice and Eyes will be much easier. But, use caution...Uniforce will no doubt be on the prowl.

Knives: *his eyes flash with green light, alluding to him possessing some sort of power that he was concealing* I fear no heroes...especially Wake Souls with no magic...

*Rocky and Tori are watching the glowing globe hologram, as the detective agency shed some light on their hunches and ideas.*

Rocky: *snapping out of thought with a jolt* Yes, Spirit? Right, yes, I’ll take you there. Tori, will you be okay with this? *concern in her voice, as she hands her the tablet*

Tori: You worry too much. *takes the tablet greedily* If we can straighten out a timeline on this thing, maybe we’ll figure out if you guys need to get out your snowshoes or your sandals! Hahaha! *she side-eyes Bonesaw for his comment, and sticks her tongue out at him for a moment as she walks with Alex back to their ship*

Rocky: Sorry for her attitude, she’s just cranky. Anyway, let’s get going!

*Rocky waves on the others and the Koko security staff split into 2 groups. One small group stayed behind to protect Tori, the other moved behind Rocky and her guests.*

Rocky: The Archeological Society’s HQ is a little bit away, but we can take the train! It’s very fast, so it should only take a half an hour.

~Team Rocky~

Spirit: *he follows Rocky pleasantly, with Bonesaw bringing up the rear.* The fact Tropic is so advanced without the use of Sorcery is so amazing! Tell me, how does the train move? Magnetic induction? Or perhaps jet power?

Bonesaw: *he shakes his head, sighing* You and your hobbies...Seriously, though, this place should invest in some Temporal Warp Gates or something...

Spirit: Bonesaw, remember, Helion Mysto-Tech is restricted to Helion Space only. The cultures outside Helion aren't as mystically inclined as the ones inside the Axis. Little by little, the galaxy will get more balanced and Magic and Technology will catch up with one another.

Bonesaw: *as he talks, the entourage approaches the train terminal. The Necral rants on, despite his surroundings* The Mystic Revolution attempted that what, couple hundred years ago? Yeah, that was supposed to be a golden age. Look what happened then! Whole galaxy nearly shatters, after being invaded by the Fortesians, mind you, and Helion introduces the Mysto-Tech Restriction Act that ends the whole thing! I say the Act was a huge waste! The Revolution should never have ended!

Spirit: *he sighs and looks to Rocky as they begin to board the train* I apologize for my brash colleague....he and I are former Wake Team graduates, and he's always been a fan of the Golden Age of the Mystic Revolution...

Bonesaw: *he takes off his sunglasses, staring off into the distance with listful, practically glowing, neon blue eyes* High General Marrowrend went to school in that age... though he never talks about it, I bet he was a freaking monster! *he then looks to Spirit, annoyed by the way he was being talked to* And as for you, don't act like you don't have ties to that age! You're a freaking Desudari! A relative to Neir of Yggdrasil! You got the same blood as him! Plus, Arch Mage Katarina adopted your sorry ass! She, General Heinrich, and that old Law asshole, Mercer, are the only known beings still kicking from that age!

Spirit: That "Old Law asshole" happens to be the Grand Patriarch of their clan... and Alex's ancestor... might wanna show some respect?

Bonesaw: *he snorts looking to Rocky* The point I'm making is, this place could benefit from some Mysto-Tech. Right, dollface?~

Spirit: *he groans. Bonesaw's boorishness was something else..*

~Team Tori~

*on the ship, Alex and Tori were both looking over the hologram of the planet while sitting at a large table in the ship common room. Next to Alex, a small, pink, blob-like humanoid no bigger than a plastic solo cup was dancing to what appeared to be upbeat jazz music that was playing in the background*

Lugo: *the little blob was shuffling and bouncing, chuckling as she sang along with the music* "You're 'bout to lose control when the rubber band starts to jam!~" Haha, I love this song!~

Alex: *he glares right at the north pole* Here...I can see the energy signature fading slightly around the outer edges...meanwhile, the signature on Phoenix is persisting at a consistent rate...whoever this guy is, he went to the Pole first, and has moved on to Phoenix....But the question is, why the North Pole?...*he looks over to Tori* Were there any reports of ruins or perhaps dig sites at the North Pole? If so, then we might be able to give Spirit and Rocky more of a lead to go on.

Kari: *she suddenly enters the common room with mugs filled with hot tea, a glow of warmth coming from her armored form* Here, I thought you two could use something to help keep the mind sharp!~

Alex: *he continues staring at the hologram while he takes the tea* This energy...it's definitely Infernal. That means it almost has to be a Law Warlock...but why? Why would a Law break the Warlock cardinal rule and use his power to steal?...and just who would be this self-serving that they would take a power taught for protection and use it for evil?...

~Team Rocky~

Rocky: *beams, excited someone is interested in tech as much as she was* Our trains are amazing! They were first used with rocket fuel, and for a long time, ancient people called them literally “ground rockets”, but they were really dangerous. Nowadays, we have 2 types: Hydrotrains that allow us to travel to different continents under the water, and Crusttrains, which are simple magnetic-levitation cars that move under the ground! We still employ live beings as conductors, as opposed to robotic AI, since we have a strict ban on—

*she stops talking listening to Bonesaw gets a little overzealous with his explanation of the Mystic Revolution. She’d never heard of it, but she was still concerned with the apparent tragic results that occured after it. There were a lot of mysterious things on Tropic that she could easily theorize were of the Helion sector of the galaxy, but she only knew of one being.*

Rocky: Well... *winces at his dollface comment* It could I guess, but we’ve fought for eons about already! Not necessarily Mysto-Tech, but I wouldn’t be surprised if your people brought up something similar to Tropic at our next Meeting of the Worlds. There might be more secrets than either of our worlds are willing to divulge...

*The group then arrives at the station, and the Koko Security squad speaks with the conductor and car operators for a moment. Without much deliberation, the group is escorted onto the spacious train car. It's not luxurious, but its comfortable with soft seats lining the sides.*

~Team Tori~

Tori: *raises her eyebrows at Lugo, half in disgust* Whoa. You guys really are aliens. At least they have good taste in music.

*Tori licks her lips as Kari enters to give them tea. She gratefully accepts the mug, drinks from it after blowing on its hot surface, and then elaborates on what she knows.*

Tori: Rocky and I are always on the move. Since we go from one crime to the next, we try to forget what happens between locations so it doesn’t mess with the next job. But lately, all our jobs have been following a pattern of escalating violence... It started with petty theft of some library books, then a boat was stolen, which was actually some guy’s house... followed by a series of attempted murders, and finally a violation of protected indigenous grounds was the last one we dealt with. That was here in Gadgetria, which is why we arrived so quickly. There was a lot of terrorism and vandalism along the way, but no one else thinks any of these crimes were connected. Only a few people, including me and my sister... I can understand why someone would go to Crystopoli first... there’s a high level of magnetic energy in the air, the water is pure when it melts from the ice, there aren’t that many people living up there... and it's very dark or very light, depending on the time of day! Phoenix, yeah, anyone with a desire for the planet’s natural blood- er, Chemical Chaos, our primary source of fuel - would absolutely go there. It’s liquid energy. It’s clean, too, and doesn’t pollute our world as much as methane gas or anything else we use... So if your Law Warlock guy is really determined to gather power and resources, on this world not only does he have all these elements at his disposal, but he has an entire world to hide in after he stole that one guy’s house-boat! Once we find him, we’re totally gonna arrest him - we have fingerprints and hair samples from his previous scuffles. *takes another sip* Yeah, Tropic isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. There’s a lot of nasty things going on out there... mutters part of me wishes I was a normal 12 year old...

~Team Tori~

Alex: *he nods, seeming to understand where Tori was coming from* I know how you feel. I'm not exactly a normal 16 year old. *he holds up his silver arm to show Tori* See this? It's called a Blessing of Deus. Essentially, my family's blood is mixed with the remnants of an ancient Helion god called Deus, the thing the Faith worships. Because of that, I was born with this arm. Normally, that would be viewed as a good thing...except both my parents and my older brother are Law Warlocks. Holy and Infernal....never mix well. However, that didn't stop a cult of Demon-Worshippers called the Sons of The War Devil from kidnapping me and forcing me to absorb a Demon.... *his right eye sparks with green energy, showing his Infernal side* But....I'm glad Spirit was the one who found me. He and Bonesaw, they saved me from those freaks...took me under their wing, got me a scholarship with The College of Avalon, and then took me in as an apprentice detective. *suddenly, his eyes widen* Wait....the town of Phoenix...how densely populated is it?! Lugo, scan for recent surges in demonic energy activity in and around the city!

~Team Rocky~

Spirit: *he nods, smirking to Rocky wistfully* Maybe. I do know there are many in Helion that wish for a second chance at an age like the Mystic Revolution...that because so much time has passed, all the old wounds have scarred over enough that a sharing of knowledge and technology would benefit all...I just wish my brother, Hades saw it that way...

Bonesaw: Spirit's older brother....Hades, one of the four Great Generals of the Helion Axis...those four hold all the power in the Axis. If they don't want another Revolution, it ain't gonna happen....

Spirit: *he looks outside the train window, spotting a cargo transport ship carrying canisters of strange liquid material. He suddenly exclaims, remembering a question he had* Oh, that reminds me! I've been wondering, Rocky...how difficult is it to procure the substance called "Chemical Chaos"? One of our leads on our way here mentioned that there has been a surge of it going into Helion's black market. The reason I bring this up...is because I hear it is a liquid form of pure energy. If that is the case, our perp may try using it in his schemes. Such a versatile fuel could definitely be used to terrifying effect if this guy is as dangerous as we anticipate.

~Team Tori~

Tori: *smiles as she sips another time from her drink* I had a feeling you and I weren't so different. *she listens to his tale and nods in understanding, glad that he was using his power for good rather than evil. She was really surprised when he revealed he was highly educated! When he whips around to Lugo and asks about the population, Tori's pupils shrink* Oh Sky King- that's a big Continent! Here, lemme show you! *she puts the tablet her sister gave her onto a docking station next to Lugo, takes a chord she finds and plugs it into the tablet. On a new holographic screen, the map of Tropic unfolds to the picture shown. Tori keys in a few commands before stepping back and showing Alex* Here, the red outlined areas are where the largest for both continents are located. It's a generalization, but it's what this thing can show us. The pink parts are where Crystopoli's and Phoenix's 'blood vessels' are. They're the largest extraction points of the Chemical Chaos in those areas. There's other places, but we're not worried about them now! What do you think? Would he target a big city or a smaller one for whatever he might be doing?!

~Team Rocky~

Rocky: *gently puts her hand on Spirit's forearm* If you believe there's hope, then I will be there to hope for the best with you. It's one of the reasons why I take the role I have today - to share that same hope for our future. Hades can either change his reasoning... or he will be forced out of our way - that is, if a Revolution would be effective! We don't want senseless violence! Heh! *takes her hand back to rub the back of her neck, a bead of sweat dripping down her cheek, nervously*

*Rocky looks over at the cargo ship, turning back to Spirit and Bonesaw to explain*

Rocky: Chemical Chaos is our planet's core. It's the hot, molten substance that allows our world to not only survive in the vastness of space, but it keeps the life here, alive. We use it in everything, even though it is a precious commodity. It's very expensive to trade on our own surfaces, and those that have it in their grasp must have license to use it. Farmers use it for higher crop yields and doctors use it for medicine. Other than the sun and water, it also powers many vehicles... and myself. *she gestures to herself* However, containing it is easy. Anyone with a strong glass vial or bottle can easily maintain its liquid form. It does not evaporate quickly, which is why it stays liquid on such a hot world for so long. It cannot be frozen by anything less than liquid nitrogen-temperatures. *she pauses to think about something, before looking down and furrowing her brows in anger* We bust a lot of Chemical Labs without proper safety equipment or licenses. There's no way those crooks in the Helion black market traded that stuff fairly. They'd have to fork over at least 5,000 for a pint of it, and that's just the starting rate here on our world!

((Chemical Chaos moves and looks like it would be pink Gallium or Mercury!))

Team Tori

Alex: he begins going over the data hastily Law Warlock Arts generally require two things as prices...either you bond with a Demon to gain power....or....you offer up life force as fuel....and the only way to offer up life force as fuel is to sacrifice living people. Have there been missing persons spiking up since his arrival to Tropic? If so...then he's already started whatever he's planning. as Lugo sends him more and more data on the holographic screen he was looking at, his face becomes more and more frantic, before he finally stops scrolling, staring in horror at the screen No doubt about it...the way these energy spikes coincide with these missing person's reports from the areas...one...two...He's killed more than a dozen people by now...we're dealing with a guy that has at least a dozen living, breathing Infernal demons working with him as lackies....*he looks to Tori, his face serious* We need to do something. From what I can tell, he's probably still in the southmost section of Phoenix, in a place where there is a dense and vast collection of people. The larger the herd, the less of a chance the flock notices when one of their own goes missing to the wolves. This guy will be hiding in plain sight. I'll send the data to Spirit, but I think you, me, and Kari should do something while we can. At least try to establish a suspect in the area.

Kari: Its dangerous, Alex...*her voice held legitimate concern and an air of experience* Demons don't go down easy. I've emptied entire Energon Clips into one before and it didn't even stagger. Plus, your data has already established it, this guy is incredibly dangerous. He's killed at least a dozen people from here, and Deus knows how many more back in Helion!

Alex: using the holo screen, he sends the data to Spirit's personal device, hoping the message reaches his mentor in time Still, we can't just sit by and do nothing...

Team Rocky

Spirit: I see...*his face seems to ripple like water slightly as he gains a troubled look* That makes this all the more difficult....if it can be that easily contained here, then our perp could have a large stockpile by now. If thats the case, we should be prepared for anything from dangrous magic powered by the stuff, to possible improvised explosive devices. Back in Helion, this guy used such a tactic, and blew up a large portion of Rapture's Black Crypt Library to maoe his escape. The perp used a Demonic Seal attached to an improvised cannister containing multiple alien ingredients...one of which tested positive for Chemical Chaos. Now, taking what we both know from our respective cases, I'm positive you Kaos Sisters and us here with Dark Cosmos Detective Agency are, indeed after the same perp. Knowing this, he'll probably be hiding in places where large amounts of Chemical Chaos would be, so it would be easier to siphon more for his plans. suddenly, an old-sounding robotic voice rings out the phrase "You got Mail!" from Spirit's pocket Ah, that must be Alex and Tori with the data! he reaches into his pocket and takes out what appears to be a small silver square no bigger than a zippo lighter. He presses the side and suddenly a small holo screen pops up before his eyes. As he reads the data, his face becomes more and more troubled Oh dear...

Bonesaw: Oh great...You don't get that look unless either A.) I have Caesar shit in your cereal, or B.) You just found out something that made this case a million times harder.

Spirit: he then grabs both sides of the screen and pulls, making two copies of it and handing one each to Bonesaw and Rocky, showing them the data Alex had collected As you can see, Bonesaw...you aren't wrong.

Bonesaw: Oh fuck...twelve people. Four of them are innocent kids. Thats some heavy demonic shit right there. This guy is beyond fucked up, whoever he is...

Spirit: All the more reason to find out what those artifacts that were stolen by him actually were. If we can get a motive fully established, then we can jump to the next phase...tracking this guy down and bringing him to justice.

~Team Tori~

Tori: A sacrifice?! *nods* Missing people happen daily, and we can only help a handful of them. Otherwise, it's up to the local governments to help stop abductions...

*Tori’s blue eyes lose their bright azure color as she turns around and paces behind Alex as he tells her this Warlock has offed a dozen or more innocent beings. Her first instinct was to alert the cities in Phoenix, but that could scare them away. Even Kari was worried about the chances of stopping all 13 beings...*

Tori: *holds breath for a few seconds, trying to calm down and not start sparking out of frustration* Okay! We need to go to 3 cities in Phoenix! Minarr is a poor mining town, Harszk is a rich tourist hub and Jhekh is basically middle-class suburbia. All of those places are really populated. We can get there by plane, by Hydrotrain or by boat. Does this murderous monster have any way of detecting high levels of Life Force Energy? If not, he can’t see us coming. If so... we’re fudged no matter how we travel. Either way, I think Minarr is a good place to start.

~Team Rocky~

Rocky: Blew up a library?! So... that’s how you guys knew to come here. We did have something enter the atmosphere a month ago, but by the time we looked for it, it was gone.

*Rocky waited for Spirit to break the news, and once he shared it with her and Bonesaw, she clapped her hands over her mouth.*

Rocky: My people... I couldn’t stop him in time... There’s no way this is Kannibal, or just a lucky serial killer... This is... I will never be able to heal their suffering... *flashes back to seeing Wrath’s face smiling* It’s not... it’s not bad enough yet for him to come back... *wipes tears from her eyes* There’s still time.

Loudspeaker: Attention Passengers! We have arrived in Janlak City. Please depart the car after picking up all your belongings. Thank you for riding with us today. *click*

Rocky: I’ll take you to the Museum now... *leaves the car, her face caught between sadness and anger*

~Team Rocky~

Spirit: *as the group heads out of the station and out towards the museum, he watches Rocky as his eyes flash with concern. Because of his Wondermold heritage, Spirit was naturally empathic, and could feel the rage and despair Rocky felt. It was one of the reasons he became a Detective...to help people feeling these exact emotions. He walks forward and places a reassuring hand on Rocky's shoulder, smirking and nodding to her* We'll find this guy. And he will pay for his crimes. I promise, we will bring this sick bastard down.

Bonesaw: *he smiles a large grin and nods* For once, I agree with Spirit here. *he holds his hand up in a "rock on" sign while smiling wide, his green tongue sticking out and showing the black eye tattoo on it* No way this guy can get away if all of us are on his ass!~

*on the roof of the station, two figures watched the Detectives and Rocky exit with their group of Koko security. One was a thin, black-armored Fortesian with black scarves wrapped around his neck, arms, and legs. The other was a Pauli with dark purple feathers and black scales and a short but muscular build. The Pauli was dressed in a black turtleneck sweater and suit coat with matching pants and shoes. Giving him a refined air.*

Fortesian: *the fortesian holds up a green crystal, speaking into it as his head's eye holes glow dark green* Hey, we have company....it's that annoying detective from Helion. He's teamed up with the Kaos sisters, and is heading towards the museum now. He might have picked up our trail...

Knives: *the voice of the skunk-warlock echoes back through the crystal* ....is the boy with him, Ganji?

Ganji: ...no...it's only the older Kaos sister and the Necral. The boy must be back at the ship with the Fortesian and the younger sister...both groups have some Koko cannon fodder...nothing too troubling.

Knives: ....kill him. Let him find out what he wants, but kill him before he leaves that city. The girl and the Necral, too. You have six Cacklers and a that monstrosity at your disposal....Ganji, Tarmiel...do not fail me.

Tarmiel: *the Pauli's voice is gruff and low, like he was much older than he appeared* We Are Obedient Sons...

Ganji: We Are Obedient Sons...

Knives: ....We Are Obedient Sons...May our lord and Father return...I will soon begin the Reclamation ritual. Contact Malcom and have him deal with the others...

Raphael: ...How many do we have now, Knives? The Master has been busy, I hear...

Knives: ....*his voice seems to take on a maniacal chuckle as he answers* 36 demons are among our ranks on that planet, as well as the four of us. Everything is going as The Master planned...

~Team Tori~

Alex: *he nods* Lugo, send word to Spirit that we're moving ahead. *he then nods to Tori* Lead the way...as for detection, the only way he would see us coming is if he knew a Half Demon was on his tail and had a means to use Soul Sight...*his eyes ignite with green flames* Soul Sight is an ability exclusive to Demons and Half-Demons. It lets them peer into souls, and see a person for their true essence. Some are so powerful, they can read emotions, even thoughts. A Warlock can borrow this ability if they have a Demon partner temporarily. So, we should try to keep a low profile.

Kari: Low profile...still, I'm going to need some spicy stuff if I'm going to be staring down Demons... *the Fortesian walks over to a large white cabinet-like container in the common room and places her hand on the center of the door. A seal forms around the spot and the cabinet opens, expanding and unfolding to reveal a massive arsenal of Mysto-tech weaponry of all shapes and sizes* Lets see...Oh! I KNOW! THE "CJM Harkonen Mark 95" Energon Railgun...aaaaand two "Surtur Cerberus" anti-material pistols in case I need medium range...*finally, she grabs a massive hammer that appears to be made with two massive tesla coil-like ends* My baby...I call this one "Mama's Lil' Helper"...*her eyes light up intensely* So many Brood have fallen to this thing...

Alex: *he chuckles nervously* See, Kari used to be Helion Military. Since the Fortesian Integration and the creation of New Echidna, their home cloud in the Helion System, the Fortesians became a major asset to the Helion Military for their expertise in warfare, both mystic and technological. Kari retired when she was found heavily injured on a recon mission...but when they found her, her kill count against the Brood was well in the hundreds. The Brood are a race of massive, vile insects from a system outside Mosaic. The Helion Axis has been keeping them out of Mosaic with their war line in the west. Most people on that line don't make it out...

Kari: *she looks over to the two youngsters, glowing warmly, as if her switch was flipped back to "doting teammate"* But I did!~ So don't you guys worry about a thing!~

Rocky: *smiles lightly and nods, but does not say anything in response*

*The Museum is huge, filled to the brim with all kinds of beautiful and well-taken-care-of exhibits. The glint of sparkling statues and replicas and the smell of old books were to the left. Straight ahead there was a flight of stairs was marked with a sign talking about the 4 floors above this one. There's a door with a stairwell going down to the right of the admissions counter, and the Koko staff talk to the desk clerk. The clerk opens the locked door and the staff allows the three team members to head down into the underground laboratory.*

*Inside the Archeological Research Facility, many uniformed humans, Koko and anthropomorphic beings examined all kinds of things in the glass rooms they occupied. Many of the analysts wore goggles, gloves and carried a basket of tools used to help identify what they were looking at. The trio and their security team came down five rooms and turned right into an empty one. A large pristine table held up books, scrolls and electronic tablets all about information that might be helpful to this investigation. Rocky thanked the Koko staff and they left the trio to their work, but stayed outside the door.*

Rocky: We can use these, but if we need more, we'll have to bug our friends, the guards. They called ahead and had the teams here pull a lot of different but hopefully relevant information. Detectives, now's your chance! *she again, lightly smiles*

~Team Tori~

Tori: We can easily disguise ourselves among the crowds. Minarr is close to Harszk, so we can easily pull off the 'lost tourist' route. I'll just have to change up my clothes and hair so no one recognizes me. Alex, I guess we'll have to rely interrogation instead of using that Soul Sight of yours. Just in case. *shrugs*

*When Kari opens the cabinet, Tori is shocked, yet awed by Kari's infatuation with her colorful array of weaponry*

Tori: That's amazing, Kari! Rocky and I are used to getting up close and personal with our foes, with me occasionally using some long-range lighting throws~ I'd like to be more efficient and try to learn some new techniques, so observing how a professional sharpshooter works will be really informative! *she gets excited about learning new things, but then stops* But that means, if we're gonna shoot these demon-things... there's no possible way we can turn them back into the lives that were lost huh?

~Team Rocky~

Spirit: *he cracks his knuckles and licks his lips eagerly, ready to work* Alright. Bonesaw, you and Rocky try looking through the report about the artifact's excavation. I want a list of all personnel that were there. I'll take a look at the artifact itself's digital images and try to make heads or tails of what we're dealing with. With luck, I'll be able to translate it...

Bonesaw: *he raises an eyebrow* Aaaaaand if you can't?

Spirit: Then I call up a little outside expert opinion... I know a guy.

Bonesaw: *he groans loudly, throwing his hands to his sides* Not THAT chut....dude, I hope you don't mean that four-eyed richie dork!

Spirit: *his face ripples slightly in anger* That richie dork is one of my best friends... I suggest you shut up. Now, let's get to work! *he walks over to the table and cycles through one of the tablets until he finds the images he was seeking*

Bonesaw: *he shakes his head and sighs, walking over to the table as he immediately starts looking through the records of the dig*

Alex: *his face remains hard. However, it was clear there was pain there* Tori... when a person's soul is sacrificed to summon a Demon from Inferno, that person not only dies... their soul is burned away as fuel for the spell. There is nothing left of the sacrifice... the only thing we can do is take down the Demons, before they can kill and devour any more innocent souls... *he clenches his silver hand, looking to Kari* Ready to go?

Kari: *she nods* Caesar will be a big help, too. If we can find something related to the perp, then Caesar can find him by his scent. An Echidna Stone Drake has the strongest sense of smell out of any living creature in Mosaic!~ Caaaaaeeeeeeesaaaaar!~

Caesar: *the drake comes barreling down one of the ship's halls, barking happily as he nearly tackles Kari, a smile on his lumpy, scaly face* Bwoark! Bwoark!

Kari: *the Fortesian laughs heartily as she hugs her drake* Ooooooh who's a good boy?~ YOU ARE! YUSH YOU ARE!~ *she rubs his massive neck and chin lovingly, taking his big paws and dancing cutely with him while she sang* Oh, I'm a little drakey, always waddling too and fro!~ I always eat my feedies be-cause they help me grow!~ Some-day, I'll be so big and strong, I'll never have to fear!~ But, for now, I'm a little drakey who is ti-cklish un-der heeeeeeeeeere!~ *she tickles him right under his left head spike, causing the drake to bark and, surprisingly, laugh! The drake rolls on the ground as Kari rubs its tummy playfully*

~Team Rocky~

*Rocky pulls up a binder of the latest dig site reports from around the world. She notices that two of the most recent entries have been about objects that, when found, "gave us genuine chills as we unearthed the artifacts." Rocky kept reading, as this sounded a lot like 'demon-like' pieces to a larger puzzle. The report explained they were donated to museums in both Phoenix and Crystopoli, where they were originally found.*

Rocky: That must have been where our perp got them. That must've been too easy. *she continues to pick up a journal from one of the archaeological team, based on the names she pulled from the binder* There's this guy, a Koko named Shrika, he worked on this project. He lives in southern Crystopoli, in a town called Laknie. According to this journal... *skims through some pages* He might be able to help us. Maybe we can video phone him... Did you guys find anything?

~Team Tori~

Tori: That's unfair... *she balls a fist in frustration, but looks up with determination* But I'm going to send him back to the scum ponds he crawled out of, because there's no way I'm letting him near my home country!

*Tori watches Kari and Caesar play together loosening up her grip on her own fist. She goes over to the dragon and his friend, crouching beside them and admiring their bond*

Tori: My sister doesn't think I care about anything sometimes, just by how I act in battle or when we talk about things later on at home... but this... *gestures to them* is why I care. Someday I wanna be normal and have a normal life, and I care about making sure I make it that far and keeping it safe for my future. *gets up* I'm ready to go.

~Team Rocky~

Bonesaw: *he is using his own silver holo-projector to skim through notes while he reads about the area of the sites themselves* I'm cross-referencing the ruins themselves with known ruins from around Mosaic to see if it might be something we can go on... these things definitely aren't native Tropic, thats for sure. *he stops, his jaw slightly agape* These hieroglyphs from one of the obelisks at the site... its a direct match. These are ruins from the Burning Age, an age where Infernals literally walked in and out of Mosaic like it was nothing. This PRE-DATES the MIW! But... the artifacts found at the sites don't match up... Spirit, are you reading this?!

Spirit: *he nods as he skims the pad and his own holo-screen* The artifacts are a lot younger... Mystic Revolution-age. I think we need to pay the good professor a call. Besides, I need to go back to translating... or, at least trying. This Infernal... I'm terrible at it, honestly. I actually flunked out of my demonic studies course...

Bonesaw: *he groans* Oh great...So you're calling HIM...

Spirit: *He rolls his eyes* After we contact this Shrika person, we should get in touch with my friend via video call as well. He might not seem like it, but he's an expert on Infernals and Warlock Arts. We were actually on the same Wake team before... well... *he stops, seeming to grow somber* Its a long story...

~Team Tori~

Alex: *he nods, looking to Kari who responds with a silent nod of her own. Together, the three head out of the ship as Lugo sends a message to Spirit*

Kari: We should take the fastest route we can to the mining city from here. Tori, since you know the area, you lead the way. Alex and I will provide support.

Alex: Hopefully, this will also help Spirit and Rocky in their investigation as well...

Caesar: BWOARK! BWOARK!

*meanwhile, in the bustling crowd milling around the spaceport, a rather large Ape Anthro, a Kong from Talarus, a planet in the Helion system, was watching the ship. He had a rather large, drum-like stomach and was shirtless save for a black cotton and fleese vest. His eyes were hidden by a pair of circular sunglasses as the Kong scratched his stomach, yawning while he watched the team depart*

Malcom: YAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWNNNNN! Barabarabarabarabarabara....What a pain... *he reaches into his jacket pocket and speaks into the green crystal he retrieved* They're on the move... Barabarabarabarabara....

Knives: *his voice responds calmly* The girls and the beast can die for all I care. But the boy... bring him here. Alive and unharmed...

Malcom: Yaaaaaawwwwwwn.......... *smacks lips sleepily* Barabarabarabarabara.... what a pain... Sure thing. Any word from The Master?

Knives: None yet, but if his calculations are correct, then the young ones are headed here while the Detectives and the older Kaos sister try to track us from the North... continue on to the next phase.

~Team Rocky~

Rocky: *picks up the digital tablet on the table and types in the information for Shrika, the archaeologist. She finds out his contact information and sends him an instant message asking if they could talk over the phone. While waiting for a response, she looks up and asks the other two about the aforementioned ages.* What was the Burning Age like? I mean, I only know Tropican history before the MIW, but... nothing outside of this world. It's a little embarrassing, especially for this case. And to be honest, I've never worked so closely with detectives before. I'm sorry if I'm not very good at this investigating part... *her shoulders sink a little*

~Team Tori~

Tori: I can ask them to lend us a small plane, since that would be the fastest way to get there. The smaller, the easier it is for us to sneak onto the continent. *she tells her Koko security staff about the idea, and they rush off to find a pilot as Tori leads them to the hangar, adjacent to where the space port is* Here, let's pick something not so obvious...

Tori: This one should be able to get us there in about... 2 hours? That's fast enough, I think.

*the security team soon return with a pilot. Enter Piraki, a female Koko with a thin frame, but still about 5'11" tall.*

Piraki: So, looks like we're one sister short? *sasses*

Tori: She's busy with the other part of this very serious investigation. We need to go on reconnaissance. Can you take us just outside of Minarr on Phoenix? We need to get there as soon as possible.

Piraki: Sure, what's the rush? *she goes to the plane and begins inspecting it both inside and out for safety purposes*

Tori: People are legitimately dying over there and we need to stop a crazy demonic serial killer! *shouts, but then stops, realizing she exploded a bit. she sighs, disappointed she lost her cool* Sorry, I just feel all this pressure now that we're actually going there...

Piraki: *nods and smiles at the group* Alright. I'll get you guys there. Just, save the world, Kaos. Everyone, come aboard. *gets in and leaves the door open for the others*

~Team Rocky~

Spirit: *he shaked his head, smiling to Rocky reassuringly* Not at all! If anything, you're doing fantastic despite your supposed lack of knowledge. You have a real knack for problem solving, Rocky! If anything, I'd love to have someone like you on my team!

Bonesaw: *he comically gags* Will you two get a freaking room? Anyway, the Burning Age was utter chaos! The whole of Mosaic, from Tropic to Iciaura, from Antool to Rapture, and everywhere in between was owned by the Demons of Inferno! They had Barons that ruled each world with an iron fist, all of which answered directly to the War Devil of that age, War Devil Agares. Pretty much, if you weren't a Demon, you were property. They say that age was when the Law first really emerged from the shadows on Iciaura...

Spirit: Speaking of Warlocks, I should contact my friend while we wait for Shrika to get back to us... *he opens a chat line on his holo-screen, typing out a sequence of speedy keys before the device connects him to what appears to be a Secretary*

Secretary: *the secretary was a female Draconian with red scales and hair, who smiles warmly to Spirit* Thank you for calling Phage-Crux LLC Corporate Office! Who may I ask is calling and for whom are you placing this call?

Spirit: I'd like to speak with Mr. Phage... tell him its Spirit, and its urgent. Lives may hang in the balance...

Secretary: *she seems surprised by the urgency of the call, but nods* Of course! I will inform Mr. Phage at once! *the screen cuts to a holding screen as upbeat, trendy music plays in the background*

Bonesaw: *he puts his feet up on the table, crossing his arms as he groans* I freaking hate that hoity toity...

*the screen flashes as the music cuts out, shifting to show a new person on the other end*

Spirit: *he smiles at the new being with a look of nothing but pure admiration, respect, and friendship* Atlas...

Atlas: *the being was a male Celestian-Human hybrid with dark, gunmetal grey skin and long, shaggy, neon violet hair with hazel brown eyes like warm chocolate. He dressed very warmly, wearing a black cashmere long coat and matching, thick scarf around his neck, giving him a cute, almost cuddly appearance. On his face, he wore a thick pair of black, horn-rimmed glasses, giving him a studious air about him. Finally, the last detail about him that stood out was the fact that, despite a clearly fit and well-trimmed build, he was bound to a white, cybernetic wheelchair. When he speaks, his voice is soft but kind, and carries an intelligent command to it* Spirit! A pleasure to hear from you again! You're looking well, old friend.

Spirit: *he makes way so that Rocky and Atlas could see each other* Atlas, this is one of my friends from Uniforce, Rocky Kaos. She and her sister are in charge of protecting Planet Tropic as heroes.

Atlas: THE Rocky Kaos? Word of you and your sister's exploits have travelled far, even in Helion. A pleasure to make your acquaintance!~

Spirit: Rocky, this is one of my best friends in the entire universe, Atlas Phage! You may know him as the owner of Phage-Crux LLC, the largest technological conglomerate in Helion and Mosaic!

~Team Rocky~

Rocky: *blushes after hearing Spirit's encouragement, but snaps out of her happy moment when Bonesaw begins to explain* That's horrible... I had no idea Demons were ruling over this whole system... Now that you mention it, I remember something about deities when I researched about the Sky King of Tropic. He's said to be a very powerful creature with lots of Life Force Energy, much more than any of us combined... 'Gods' like him are on the level of 'Demons' which were all expelled from Tropic by the likes of that very same Sky King. That's why he's so revered among the Aeonimbic people and others. If he's still around, anyway. No one knows if he's still floating around up there in the atmosphere of Tropic, but no one wants to invade 'sacred grounds' to find out. I personally don't think one being can survive for 4 or more millenia, so I don't think he's around anymore. Still, if he's gone, then that would make perfect sense as to why Demons would be back on our doorsteps.

*Rocky refreshes the cybek (internet) browser on the tablet to see if there was any response while the two guys contacted Mr. Phage. She picks her head up when the call starts*

Rocky: *notices both guys' change in mood when it came to this person* thinking: wow, they really are very different. I guess that's like me and my sister...

*Rocky may have only been 15, but she found Atlas to be rather handsome! He was very easy on the eyes as he was polite, and very flattering, to boot! She blushed yet again, extremely happy her marks as a hero traveled well over the galaxy!*

Rocky: Wow, thank you so much, Mr. Atlas Phage! Now that you mention the company, I think we trade with the P-CLLC, especially what I'm made of, Tropican Steel! Haha, 'No tougher stuff, one sheet is enough!' Haahaa... haha... ha... S-Sorry, commercial jingle still in my head after all these years...

Atlas: *he smiles happily, seeming touched by Rocky's reaction* Please, call me Atlas, my dear. Spirit, your friend is absolutely charming! You simply must fly her and her sister out here to Avalon one day so I can meet them. I hear you girls are cyborgs, correct? I'm sure we have a few toys in R&D that would be useful to heroes such as yourselves! Never mind the Mysto-tech ban, I'll have my lawyer draw up the paperwork so that we can get you and your sister permits for use outside Helion, being heroes and all.~

Bonesaw: WILL YOU GET ON WITH IT, YA GUILDED STUFFED ANIMAL?!

Atlas: *he takes a much less-amused look upon hearing Bonesaw's remark* ....Ah, Jeckeljaques...Nice to see you're in good..."health"?

Bonesaw: *the Necral scowls* Ha Ha.

Atlas: *he returns to his pleasant demeanour* So then, how can I help you all today? My Secretary said it was urget...are you working a case, Spirit?

Spirit: Yeah. We're tracking a Warlock who I think is tied with that terrorist group, The Sons of the War Devil. We have reason to believe he's here, on Tropic, and he's after something involving an old Infernal artifact they found here on Tropic. I've been trying to make heads or tails of what this artifact is, but my Infernal is god awful...I figured you would be able to lend your expertise in the matter? For old time's sake?

Atlas: *his face grows soft as he seems to think back on something* Of course. Send me the details.

Spirit: *he passes the data through the holo screen to Atlas via their connection*

Atlas: *he looks over the data, his face growing more and more concerned*

Spirit: *not paying attention, he looks to Rocky as he speaks* Atlas was a member of the same Aura Wake team I was on when I was in school. He's also one of the most talented Warlocks in the galaxy! One of the few outsiders to be taught legitimate Law Warlock arts!

Atlas: Spirit, I appreciate your flattery...but do you have ANY IDEA what you guys have on your hands here?!

Atlas: Spirit....this is more than just an artifact...The best way I can put it, this is a time capsule. From the Mystic Revolution's age.

Bonesaw: *he perks up, taking his feet of the table* Hold up now?

Atlas: There are four holes here...that means there are four objects that go in here. Keys. This thing is keeping something safe....

Spirit: *his face remains hard* Atlas...what is in that time capsule?

Atlas: *he swallows, his face going pale as he speaks* ....This capsule....is housing the Grimoire of a very, very powerful Warlock from that age...so strong, he became a force of cataclysmic proportions..."The Breaker of Mosaic".

Atlas: *he looks to Rocky* Long ago, there was an incredibly powerful and evil Warlock by the name of Xander Law. He believed Mosaic was corrupt, tainted, and that Mortals was its disease. He saw the Demons of Inferno as perfect, and believed the only way Mosaic would know peace.. *his eyes harden as he speaks* ...was if all Mortals were wiped out, and if Mosaic would become a realm like Inferno. And so, he hatched a diabolical plot to absorb the corpse parts of long-dead War Devils, and eventually, the War Devil of that time himself, War Devil Vishra. He succeeded, and became the new War Devil, the God of Inferno. With his power, he nearly broke the entire Mosaic Cloud... But he was stopped, by a group of Wake Souls. They fought him, and one of them sacrificed his life to throw Xander and his minions into Inferno, and bind their souls outside our realm, so they could never return...However, according to this, there is a way to bring back his Demons, his Four Disciples, and...eventually...War Devil Xander himself. Rocky, Spirit, if this Warlock succeeds in his endeavors, then Xander will return to Mosaic and finish what he started centuries ago...He will destroy this entire galaxy, planet by planet.

~Team Rocky~

*Rocky is caught in a whirlwind of emotion. She’s enthralled by Atlas’ joy and willingness to bend over backwards for her and the DCDA. She also admires how much education these guys have, considering she stopped going to school at the age of 8. Her sister had never even been to public school! But what really confused and scared her, was the idea that this was a time capsule from one of the most powerful Pre-MIW beings in the galaxy, and if he or his disciples were still out there, hoping to unlock it and release what was inside... she shuddered, thinking about it.*

Rocky: *clutching her chest with one hand and her stomach with the other. She felt sick know this was brewing here all along! Thankfully she had been regularly saving her planet for the past 5 years, but to lose all that now...* S-Sorry... I just... It’s so much to take in... I had no idea things went this deep! We need to find out who these minions... these cult-like followers are before they get their hands on these keys! They can’t open that capsule!! They just can’t!! All my friends, the planets I love, the entire Universe...

*a buzz from the tablet on the desk catches her attention. An instant message from Dr. Shrika appeared! Rocky opened it quickly, and began to read it aloud*

Shrika: *via Rocky’s voice* "My Dearest Apologies, I am unable to video or phone you, as I am about embark on another journey in Vegetaria, the Eastern Continent. However, I can tell you more about my study of the strange artifacts we found in Crystopoli! There were many things to look at. An entire layer of history was uprooted by my brilliant team, apparently belonging to a part of Tropic even before the time of the First War! (That means when the three tribes first arrived on Tropic.) This piece of material appeared to be made of malleable metal unlike anything we’ve ever seen. It was able to withstand the highest of heats, which is likely why it survived deep in our crust for so long. It most accurately appears to be a writing utensil. A quill pen, the barbaric tool humans used when they hunted us for our feathers. Either way, it had imprinted writing along its stem, but none of our staff could translate it. It appears to be a dead language, or possibly not from this planet at all! I hope I was able to help you in some way. I must leave now, but I’ve attached other contacts and an image of the artifact we donated to the Crystopolian Museum. I apologize I couldn’t share this with you vocally. Do take care, and stay safe, young hero."*looking up at the others He sent us a picture of it and some other names I can try contacting. But first... turns the tablet around so all could see the image. The writing was visible just from one side of the thick stem of the pen. The feathers were decayed and gone.*

~Team Rocky~

Spirit: A....pen?

Atlas: *his eyes widen behind his glasses* Thats-That's amazing!

Bonesaw: *he looks over to Atlas over his sunglasses* Let me guess, Xander used that to pen his memoirs?

Atlas: That is an artifact from the Law Clan! It's the pen that once belonged to Quintus Law, the first Patriarch of the Law, and father of all Warlock arts! Its said Xander defeated Quintus and sacrificed him to summon Vishra! The battle must have taken place on Tropic, all those centuries ago! That means Crystopoli is the site where the fate of all Mosaic was once decided! The site where Xander achieved War Devilhood, and then was defeated by Aura Wake... Spirit, that pen is one of the most sacred Demonic Tools ever created by Quintus.... it has the ability to not only write and alter Grimoires, but it also acts as a tracker! This Capsule was made with that pen, and the pen can help find the keys! Quintus had two of them in his arsenal, according to historical records. One, he kept at all times. The other... is in the hands of the Law Warlocks on Iciaura.

Spirit: Was... Mercer donated it centuries ago, remember? He wanted Warlock Arts to spread, beyond the Law, and so he donated it to the Blackwald University for the Dark Arts on Rapture...

Spirit: ...anyway, the problem is that our perp BROKE INTO Blackwald and stole it... that was his first crime. I've been tracking this guy for a long time now.... going on 3 years. I actually met Alex while chasing a lead on him. I've never met him face to face, but... I feel like I know this guy by now. He's been setting up for this for a long time... and he isn't alone. He has allies, and a backer. Somebody is paying out the yin yang to make sure this psychopath as everything he needs...

Spirit: *he shakes his head* No, this is enough...I don't want to endanger you too, Atlas. This guy isn't afraid to outright assault a Magic School and several key places in Mosaic, he won't be too scared to try and assassinate even someone like you. Leave this to us...

Atlas: *he seems visibly concerned, but sighs and smiles, nodding slightly* Alright...I'll leave this to you. Rocky, I'm sending Spirit my personal contact information. If you or your sister need anything, do not hesitate to call. Any friend of Spirit's is a friend of mine, and for a protector of the peace, I would gladly spare no expense. Good luck to you all.

Spirit: *he nods, smiling one last time* Take care, Atlas. *the call ends and Spirit looks to Rocky and Bonesaw* Well....there you have it.

Bonesaw: *he stands back up, taking a deep breath and clasping his hands together, pressing them to his mouth before finally exhaling* HOOOOOLY SHIT! HOOOOOOOOOOOLY SHIT! WHAT THE HELL HAVE WE GOTTEN OURSELVES INTO?!

Spirit: Bonesaw, calm down...*he seems strangely confident* We now have a lead that the perp doesn't.... the museum in Crystopoli wasn't hit yet. If we can get there and grab that pen, then we can find the keys and stop our guy from bringing back the most evil force this galaxy has ever known. We can do this...I believe in us. *suddenly, a message tone rings out as Spirit re-opens his holo-screen, showing he got a text message from Lugo* Oh, its word from Alex..... *his eyes comically bulge out from his skull and a massive anger vein pokes out as his face ripples like the ocean in a hurricane* THEY. DID. WHAT?! THOSE FOUR WENT AFTER THE FREAKING PERP IN PHOENIX?!

~Team Rocky~

*the idea that a fateful battle occured on Tropic eons ago was mind blowing, and Rocky nearly dropped the tablet in shock. One of these ancient pens in existence was bad enough, but this was likely how this Warlock knew where to go to find his keys!*

Rocky: Wow, thank you so much Atlas! Your kindness is much appreciated and we won’t hesitate to let you know how this turns out! Thank you again! *waves before he hangs up* B-Bonesaw, please, seeing you of all people freak out is making me more worried...

*she nods to Spirit, but the second he exposits her sister and the others went to Phoenix, she cartoonishly bursts into a fury of flames, screaming so loudly the Koko outside the door hear her and burst in*

Security guy: Ms. Kaos! Is everything alright?!

Rocky: *with a furious tone* MAKE SURE MY SISTER IS SAFE SO I CAN PERSONALLY KILL HER FOR BEING SO RISKY!!!!!

~Team Tori~

*the flight was a little bumpy, but the passengers arrived at an older airport a few miles outside Minarr city limits. Piraki stayed with the plane, bid farewell and good luck to the group and Tori led them to a taxi service. She was able to put on a different shirt over her romper and put up her hair in a ponytail. She also wore a brandless baseball cap, hoping this get-up would disguise herself enough.*

Tori: *trying to flag down a taxi* Okay, so where do we go from here, you think? What did the readings say?

~Team Tori~

Taxi: *a taxi pulls up, a panther-anthro driving as he greets his customers*

Alex: *The group boards, Alex sitting next to tori and Kari sitting across from them. Using his holo-screen, he skims through the data speedily* There are definitely Infernal energy signatures.... if he isn't here, some of his croneys definitely are.

Kari: *she glances nervously out the taxi window* If we get into trouble, I can call for Caesar... but still, Demons are tough customers. Imps are weak, but usually travel in large numbers... those are the most common minion-class Demon. But beyond that... it gets tricky.

Alex: There are several Tribes, and even more species of Demon in Inferno, and their elements can be used in a variety of ways... its not limited to one type, but by the individual Demon. Plus... higher Demons are typically hearty.

Kari: Alex, you should try using your Sight while we're on the drive... you might see something.

Alex: he nods Good thinking... *his eye flashes green, his soul sight activating as he begins skimming the crowd outside*

Taxi Driver: Sightseers, eh? Ah youth... I remember my youth... Many of my brood emerged from the Burning Waters of Inferno, and the violence was so exquisite. *he speaks pleasantly, as if he was talking about the weather*

Kari: ....

Alex: ....What?

Taxi Driver: *his head suddenly spins around completely, his eyes black and filled with glowing green veins* Come with me, Alex Tiberius Law. You are needed. The Master demands it. The other two, may die.

Alex: *his siver arm immediately ignites with light* Shit!

Taxi Driver: *he opens his mouth, green flames gushing forward*

Kari: *she reacts immediately, activating a small bracelet on her armored wrist. A shield of pure, hard light forms as she shoves Alex and Tori to the back seat behind her, blocking the fire. With a roar, she draws one of her pistols from the sheath-shaped object on the back of her belt, aiming and unloading the clip into the driver's face. However, the energy bullets leave no real wound, but instead smoldering, green patches of charcoal-like flesh. The taxi swerves and crashes, flinging the driver out onto the street. Thankfully, Kari's large form withstood the impact and helped to shield Tori and Alex. Outside the taxi, chaos ensues and people eagerly gather to see what happened* Ugh...are you guys okay?

Alex: *he seems slightly shaken, but snaps out of it quickly when he hears somebody scream in terror. His Soul Sight still active, he looks to where the driver landed, now tense and ready for combat* Guys... it's not over yet...

Driver: *the driver's broken body is standing in a grotesque, mutilated stance as his head cracks and explodes in a flash of green flame. Out from the burning ruin emerges a gangly, but strong-looking humanoid creature with cinder-like, burning skin, horns, sharp fangs, and a cruel, cackling smile. It looked like a larger, more powerful version of what one would expect a goblin to look like, with a green, burning aura around its body* GAAAAAKAHAHAHAHA! KILL! KILL! LET ME KILL! GAAAAAAHAHAHA!

Alex: *his eyes widen in horror* Thats... no normal Imp...

Cackler: HIIIIIHAHAHA! IMP?! I AM A DEMON BLESSED BY THE MIGHTIEST WAR DEVIL OF ALL TIME! A XANDARIAN INFERNAL! I AM MORE THAN AN IMP! I AM A XANDARIAN CACKLER!

Alex: *he aims his silver arm at the Demon* Cackler-shmackler, GET YOUR ASS BACK TO INFERNO! *silver energy builds further into his arm as it collects into his palm* FIRST LAW...SILVER FLASH! *the energy discharges as a silver blast of energy that crashes into the Demon and causes it to cry out in agony. Alex looks to Tori and Kari, his face serious* Looks like the enemy found us already...

~Team Rocky~

Spirit: *as the group goes to leave, he is trying to form a plan Alright, so while we- suddenly, the museums alarms go off and the sounds of chaos erupts from the exhibits outside* What the hell?! *when the group arrives to the main vestibule of the museum, they find Ganji, Raphael, and a horde of around 8 Cacklers blocking the exit*

Bonesaw: Who the hell are these clowns?!

Ganji: Good people, today is an auspicious day. Though we, the Sons of the War Devil, the bringers of chaos and death, stand before you, we offer you a way to avoid destruction... there are a group of Detectives... off-worlders. They are here with one of your beloved Kaos Sisters... these heroes are the only ones who need die today. Produce them, and the War Devil will grant all of you release...

*Tori is startled by the mention of the brood coming from the taxi driver, after hearing Kari took down hordes of them! She screams in surprise, putting up her arms in a defensive x-formation by her head as Kari gets them both down*

Tori: *opens one squinted eye to see Kari’s shield, before the taxi crashes* K-Kari?! Alex, why did he say your name like that?! Don’t tell me—

*the car stops and she bolts from the back seat, completely on edge and ready to rumble*

Tori: Oh great, my first demon encounter and it’s absolutely fugly! *waits until Alex finishes firing his silver blast attack before taking a running start, building electrical energy in her feet, and jump kicking the demon several feet away from the observing civilians. On top of the light Alex fired at it, making it scream, she also began to electrocute it bubbling it’s ‘skin’ up like explosive hives. She gets up from her kick, fixes her hat and faces the crowd.* It’s alright everyone! We’ve got the situation under control!

*the crowd gets more nervous and fearful of the scenario unfolding before them.*

~Team Rocky~

*the museum allows for the trio and some security guards to get out of the basement before locking down their exhibits. Once upstairs, the security withdraw tasers, battering wands and alien-looking guns, aiming them at the intruders.*

Guards: FREEZE, WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!

*after Ganji explain their appearance, security shuffles around the concerned innocents, charging their weapons, ready to strike. The nervous desk clerk piped up from behind the counter*

Clerk: I-I-I saw her! S-She came in with two strange beings, neither of which belong to Tropic!

Rocky: *facepalms, then mutters:* I forget how many fools I save as a heroine.... *shakes her head in preparation for battle, then steps between the security staff* Get off my planet. You are not welcome here, Infernal waste of matter.

~Team Tori~

Cackler: *the demon shrieks in pain as its body convulses from the current flying through its flesh, the bubbling portions exploding violently as the Demon erupts into a pile of ashes*

Kari: *she sighs* One down...

Alex: *he's still on edge, looking all around* It's not over yet... Look! *he points to one of the side buildings' rooftops*

Malcom: *the Kong is sitting on top of the roof, scratching his stomach lazily as a group of Cacklers chitter around him* YAAAAAAWWWWN..... Barabarabarabarabara... you guys are becoming a bother...

Alex: *he addresses the Kong, yelling up to him* I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you're the Warlock in charge of these Demons?

Malcom: Aaaayup.... though, I told the boss he would have been better off sending someone else...my nap time was cut short because of this. YAAAAWWWWN.... Barabarabarabara.....

Alex: *he readies his fist, prepared to launch another shot of energy* You do realize I'm gonna have to bring your fat ass in for using Life Sacrifice arts, right?! You and your friends are in HUGE trouble!

Malcom: *he narrows his eyes* The only ones in trouble are you and your other friends. By now, Ganji and Raphael should be dealing with them... *with that, the Cacklers all snarl and leap off the building, at least 6 of them raining down at the heroes*

Ganji: Still... she saved us the trouble of drawing her out... Now, why don't you tell us where your two detective friends are?...

Spirit: *while Rocky distracted the Demons and their Warlock masters, Spirit was somehow walking on the side of the wall, small spell seals glowing beneath his feet as his Gravity-based magic kept him on the surface of the wall. Eventually, he finds himself standing on the ceiling, directly above the Warlocks and Demons, his Catalyst hilt in his hand as he keeps it deactivated, waiting for Rocky to give him the signal. Though they had never fought together before, Spirit's Empathy allowed him to send his feelings to Rocky. Hopefully, she would pick up on his idea for a pincer attack.*

Bonesaw: *he keeps back out of sight, lowering himself like a sprinter about to make a huge dash. Beneath his hands, two white Force Magic spell seals form, while two Wind seals form beneath his feet. With a grin, he lets the spells charge as he awaits the signal*

~Team Tori~

*The super girl narrows her eyes at the Kong, growling, her hair sparking white lightning. She’s pissed to hear they might’ve captured her sister, and hated the idea of losing to these ancient aliens!*

Tori: If you won’t come down here and pay for your crimes, I’ll just meet you up there! *she jumps so quickly into the air it was almost if she teleported! Her hat flies off and her ponytail breaks open, revealing who she was to the crowd below. They scream in joy, backing away to safety. Tori then whips her arms back and threw a dozen lightning bolts forward at Malcom, all from high in the air. A barrage like this was only a taste of her power!*

~Team Rocky~

Rocky: I refuse to speak - *looks up quickly at Spirit, then quickly glides her body into an ‘earthbender-like’ stance* -when my actions can do that for me.

*flicking her outstretched wrist upward, the earth came exploding up through the concrete and latched onto the lower limbs of the Infernal intruders, trapping them (at least temporarily) in place! This was the time for Spirit to get the drop on them, while she had them in her grasp!*

~Team Tori~

Alex: *while Tori shoots ahead, Alex smirks as his left arm suddenly lights with green, infernal flames. Taking a boxer's stance, he dashes forward to meet the Cacklers. As one goes to grab him in a bear hug, he weaves and lays out four left flicker jabs with his burning arm, the arm literally BECOMING hellfire and firing so fast, the blows appear to have landed simultaneously. He ducks under a second Cackler's claw swipe as the first one drops to ash, laying a big, silver light-infused right haymaker into the second Cackler. As a third goes to jump at him, jaws primed for the kill, a loud energy shot can be heard firing as a massive blast of blue energy takes the Cackler's head clean off, leaving its smoking remains as a pile of ashen ruin. Alex looks to the source of the shot, a smirk on his face* NICE ONE, KARI!

Kari: *the Fortesian markswoman is still inside the taxi, using it as a nest as she aims her Energon Rail Gun out from the seat, sitting back in a comfortable lounge position as she charges another shot* One...

Malcom: *the Kong's eyes widen as the bolts hit home and shock him, his fur singeing from the heat of the lightning. He growls through grit teeth as he suddenly smacks his stomach, a green seal forming as a massive gust of green, scorching wind erupts out. Floating next to Malcom was a small, green book with what looked like the image of a parrot's head on the cover. However, the eyes on the parrot blink and the head shifts, as if the book was...alive?!* Barabarabarabara.... Shambal... let's blow this little runt away...

Spirit: *while Ganji and Raphael manage to narrowly escape being trapped, their Cacklers are not so fortunate. Spirit drops down into the middle of the group, a massive Gravity Magic seal forming around the whole lot of them* GRAVITY MAGIC...*he then leaps out of the seal as a massive black dome of energy forms over the Cacklers. Moments later, the dome sinks into the earth a few inches as the booming sound of the space inside being crushed to the point of spontaneous combustion due to the sudden friction of the air molecules in the space being compacted together ringing out.* KING'S PRESSURE COOKER!

Ganji: *he steps back, startled* Desudari!

Raphael: *he growls menacingly at Spirit. However, before he can move, the sound of air rushing and exploding in a far back room stops him.*

Bonesaw: *the Necral comes dashing out and lays a Force Magic-infused double palm thrust into Raphael, flinging him into a wall painfully* Leave short, stout, and scaley to me!~

Spirit: *he activates the black energy blade of his Catalyst, pointing it at Ganji* You, sir... are under arrest. And once we take your ass in, you'll be telling us everything we wanna know about your little group... don't try anything funny. Its two on one.

Ganji: *he seems unaffected by Spirit's words, standing calmly* Two on one? I don't think so.... *he snaps his fingers. Suddenly, the ground begins rumbling as the doors to the museum explode open. In walks a massive, hulking Demon with molten, earthen flesh, massive curved horns, huge, skeletal wings, and cloven hooves for feet. The Demon stood at least nine feet tall, and roared so loudly, the glass windows around it broke*

Spirit: *his eyes widen* Oh shit...BALROG!

Ganji: Now then...*he reaches back, drawing a Catalyst of his own as the blade ignites with green, misty energy* En Garde, Detective... *he lunges forward, crossing energy blades with Spirit as the opposing energy hum and pop on contact with each other*

Balrog: *the large Demon glares down at Rocky and roars, lumbering forward and moving to hit her with a massive backhand*

~Team Tori~

Tori: *smiles as Alex and Kari get into the combat, but gets knocked down with the wind. She lands on a lamp post, gripping it so she doesn’t fall off. Her eyes widen as she notices the grimoire.* Uh oh!

*Tori leaps up quickly, but the blades of wind released by the grimoire cut into her shirt and slice up her hair. One of the grazes her cheek. Thankfully, she uses one of the blades as a platform to get more air; she jumps forward, rather than upward, and makes a rolling landing on the roof. Now she was on the same floor as the Kong!*

Tori: I’ll take that stupid book from you! *gets up, gets ready*

~Team Rocky~

*Rocky grits her teeth, mad she missed her main targets, but still knocked down a number of offenders. The security team was now escorting any bystanders into other rooms, and away from the mayhem.*

*Rocky’s knees shake a little, nervously. She hadn’t gone up against many mega-sized monstrosities, but when she did, it was always challenging.*

Rocky: Balrog?! What’s a B- *is smashed against a pillar of the museum before she could stand defensively. She struggles to get up, but remembers she had to fight for all those lost lives* C-Come on, b-big boy.... it’s too cramped in here for us to play... *she reaches for the ceramic clerk’s counter, rips it off the floor and chucks it into the air at the beast. She uses this diversion to try and make it outside.* COME ON BALROG, I’LL SHOW YOU WHY MY NICKNAME IS ROCKYYY~!

~Team Tori~

Alex: *he dashes forward at the remaining three Cacklers, weaving expertly among them as he crumples one with a quick three-hit jab combo from his left, the blows again sailing so fast they appear simultaneous, landing to the side of the Cackler's head, kidney, and stomach. The Demon explodes into ash as two more Energon bolts fly and take out the remaining two Cacklers. Alex then looks up to Tori, concerned for how her fight was going*

Malcom: *he smacks his stomach, forming a small tornado of green wind on his arm. He then charges forward and rams right into Tori with a massive shoulder charge, spearing the much smaller girl with his imposing collar. However, he's shocked to find her capable of matching his strength* Barabarabara! Damn Cyborg! *demonic wind and blue lighting whips around the two as they struggle against each other*

Kari: *she takes aim, her railgun locked on Malcom's grimoire* Alex, help buy Tori some time while my railgun recharges! Give me about 3 minutes, and I'll have a shot strong enough to fry that floating cookbook from hell of his!

Alex: *he nods and runs towards the building, hellfire forming at his legs and boosting him as he jump up onto the roof to try and help the young heroine*

~Team Rocky~

Bonesaw: *he has Raphael locked in a painful submission hold, locking the Pauli Warlock in a grotesque armbar while pinning him up against the wall, growling at the fact that if he let go, Raphael would be able to jump in and turn the tide, thus stopping him from helping Rocky and Spirit* Grrr....

Balrog: *the desk smashes into the Demon's head, shattering and causing it to stagger back, falling into a nearby column. The stone structure shatters under its weight as the Balrog falls through to the floor. However, it was soon back on its feet and after Rocky, lumbering after the young cyborg hero as she ran outside*

Spirit: *he and Ganji seem to dance as they weave back and forth between thrusts, their energy blades clashing and flowing as the continue to lunge at each other. Finally, they land in another deadlock as their blades grind and crackle against each other. However, Spirit throws his free hand to the right side, creating a Gravity Magic seal on the wall.*

Ganji: *Suddenly, Ganji finds himself yanked hard as gravity shifts to the seal, causing him to fall at the wall at breakneck speed. When he lands, he had little time to recover as Spirit flies at him, using the same gravitational yank to power a plunging attack. The Fortesian rolls to the side, out of the seal in the nick of time as he slides back down the wall, his gravity now normal*

Spirit: *he lands on the seal, using another Gravity seal to cushion the landing and strengthen his hold on the wall as he begins attacking Gangi while standing sideways, his blows now coming from the awkward angle of the 90 degree wall.*

Ganji: *he steps back along the wall, unable to move away due to Spirit's advance. He expertly attempts to parry Spirit's lunges, but is slightly off balance due to the awkwardness of the fight's angle*

~Team Tori~

Tori: *growls, even though she’s in pain, she holds her own against the beast* Bet you’re not so tough without that stupid tome! RRRrrrghhh! *is slipping, but then she hears Alex behind her. She lets Malcom knock her down on her back, as the wind whips around her hair, but when he lunges forward, she uses all her might to kick him straight into the air* Serve, UP!

~Team Rocky~

*Rocky spins around once her feet connect with the ground outside. She wipes the sweat off her forehead and grinds her feet into the dirt. She poses quickly and pumps up her fists, ripping apart the ground around her. She lifts two chunks of earth up like they were dumbells on a weight, and throws one at a time at the Balrog.*

Rocky: Hope you can- *chucks the first, then second one* Spot me!!

~Team Tori~

Kari: *her railgun gives a small chime sound as Malcom is launched airborne, aiming down the sight* Set....*she fires off two shots that seem linked by a stream of lightning. The shot spins like a bola, flying at Malcom and catching him in a powerful field of electric energy.*

Kari: *the minute the book opens, she lets out another shot, this time with only one charge. The shot hits home, lighting the tome ablaze as the Demon within screams in pure agony, its essence being destroyed with the bindings.*

Alex: *Using his hellfire blasts from his legs again, he rockets up after Malcom, flashing above the Kong with a silver-charge fist primed as he spikes the rotund ape like a volleyball* ACE!

Malcom: *he is launched at breakneck speed into the earth below, leaving a massive crater where he lands, his eyes now two swirls, indicating his defeat*

~Team Rocky~

Balrog: *the large Demon is knocked off balance at first by the sudden boulder to the face. As the second one flies at it, the boulder completely topples the beast.*

Spirit: *as he and Ganji continue to dance around each other, he finally notices an opening in Ganji's form and moves in with a swift parry, throwing Ganji's catalyst out of his hand. Upon the follow up riposte, Spirit cuts Ganji across the chest five times, forming a star mark* GRAV-MAGIC; HEAVY STAR! *the mark pulses and Ganji is floored by a sudden rush of gravity. The sounds of the Fortesian's ankles shattering under the weight echoes like gunshots as the Warlock falls, the sudden pain robbing him of consciousness.*

~Team Tori~

Tori: *flops her legs down and lays on her side watching over the side of the building her teammates finish off Malcom and the evil grimoire panting* What... a... spike... hahaha...

*she slowly gets up and swings off the building, landing clumsily on her feet and knees. That fight really took a lot out of her, and that was just one of potentially many foes to come their way!*

Tori: Are you alright? Alex, Kari, are you guys okay?! *her body is covered in cuts made by the slicing winds, and her clothes are ripped, but mostly whole*

~Team Rocky~

Rocky: *smashes her fists into the ground beside her spread-apart feet, moving the ground beneath her and creating a wave of rock and soil to follow behind her. She sweats heavily as she uses her power to cover up the Balrog's body in the dirt mixture, trapping it as she glides off her wave of stone. She pants, looking behind her and runs back inside.* Spirit! Bonesaw!! Regroup!! *her voice is hoarse*